Stories & Lessons for Finding Your Purpose

Below you’ll find the stories and lessons of some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs, artists and creatives in the community and how they found their purpose.

There are 4 introspective questions that I used to find my purpose, and you can ask yourself that will give you a clearer view of our unique purpose in this life. First question is what are your talents? These aren’t necessarily things you can enter a talent show for, but things that you have a knack for that set you apart. This can be things like being a good listener or a sense of humor.  Read more>>

Eve Smith

Purpose came to me through trial and error in spite of my initial resistance. In high school, with my limited experience of the world and narrow perspective, the part of my purpose that caused me the most resistance, teaching, dropped into my lap as I sat at the kitchen table. After a month’s worth of all the personality and strengths and weakness assessments you can imagine, my mother declared with a flourish of papers that slipped out of her grasp to rain on me, that I was born to be a teacher. Read more>>

Amo Zhou

To me, the purpose comes naturally along my art journey. When I first started making art, I didn’t know people would understand and even resonate with my works. I was making something just for myself: my memories, my emotions, my confusion…when more and more people started seeing my works, some of them would tell me how they felt when they saw my work, and surprisingly it’s usually exactly how I felt when I was making the piece. It makes me feel that I am not alone.  Read more>>

Ben Torres

This is quite the loaded question. After all the experiences I have had, I’m not sure you can really find your purpose until you’ve dealt with the ultimate trial / tribulation that accompanies the vocation or calling you find yourself pursuing. While I was pursuing my undergraduate degree at Belmont Abbey College, I decided that I would pursue a Major in Business Management with a Minor in Theology. Read more>>

Korrutai Goi Yujaroen

“Finding my purpose was like assembling a puzzle without knowing the final picture. Every night, I reflect on my day. I consider what I loved about it, what didn’t quite work, and how I could improve if similar situations arise again. It’s my way of encouraging personal growth every day. Read more>>

Laurie Blasko

I have always had a heart for serving people. I grew up in the hospitality industry, but it was when I moved into an event coordinator position several years ago that my heart set on fire. I realized that building strong relationships with people, stretching my creativity, and executing stress-free events was what I was created to do.  Read more>>

Sophia Zarate

It began with self-reflection and a deep curiosity about what truly fulfills me. I uncovered a genuine love for content creation and community-building. Learning from others, sharing experiences, and understanding different perspectives enriched my sense of purpose. It reinforced the idea that meaningful connections and a sense of community are integral to a purposeful life. Read more>>

Dumb Belles

I think our purpose is innate to each of us and something we all very much align on. Our band was birthed from a long neglected need to have a musical outlet, and because imposter syndrome was the main blocker in pursuing that outlet — our main purpose is sharing our music and inspiring as many creatives out their to get started or keep going with theirs.

Becca Syme

It took me many years of doing the work to be able to see the evidence of my purpose. It wasn’t something I could know from the start. I had to discover it. I think a lot of us feel like we have to know what our purpose is before our life tells us the truth about why we’re here. But if we’ll live according to our intuition, many of us, we can discover that purpose. Read more>>

Josephine Cardin-Vargo

I would say my purpose found me. I genuinely know I came into this world with my purpose to create and tell stories. The greater question is how I came back to it after having let it go for so long. I feel an immense amount of gratitude for having always known what I wanted. It’s hard for me to answer the question, “when did you first realize…?”  Read more>>

Ana Sofía Navia López

As an artist, it is common to feel forced into a niche, whether it has to do with the content of your art, or the form which you choose to express it in. I think my artistic purpose is something I’m still discovering, and though it is hard to not feel pressured to find exactly what I want to do with my art in an environment where most seem to have at least some idea, I try to remind myself that it’s a never-ending process.  Read more>>

Jo-Vonia Ayers

How did I find My Purpose? This is a great Question that, I’ve really had to ponder over. My Purpose is still being revealed as I journey through life. I feel that my main purpose is to Serve others in some capacity. I tend to find joy in seeing others smile. I exalt in the feeling that I can brighten someones day by being my authentic self and, sharing my authentic gifts. Being an artist has helped to reveal my purpose in many ways.  Read more>>

Dr. Sheniqua Johnson

There was a time in my life when I felt as though I was aimlessly existing. Sure, at the time I was a wife, mother, and Registered Nurse, but these titles didn’t define who I was called to be. I remember one day in particular when my marriage was dissolving right before my eyes and the realization of having to be a single mother of 2 young boys while managing my career became very heavy. I went into my downstairs bathroom and began washing my hands.  Read more>>

BJ Rottinghaus

I found my purpose after noticing how expensive Halloween costumes can be(up to around 60 dollars), and I felt that it was a shame. As one of my favorite holidays growing up, I always loved dressing up. I want that Halloween to be experienced by everyone. While Halloween is not usually a giving holiday, it is something I want to help every kid experience. I believe that we can create an environment through Y’alloween where all children across Texas can have an amazing Halloween. Read more>>

Lauren Bell

Grief. I lost someone who was very special to me, my grandfather. My grief journey led to self discovery and learning how to live more purposefully. What I learned is that it’s ok to allow yourself to grieve but don’t stop living. One of the many things I discovered is that I really enjoy traveling and exploring the world and created a business to help others do so as well. Read more>>

Christine Mann

I believe our purpose can be tied to something from our past, maybe something painful we experienced or a trial we have experienced. Whatever it may be, these experiences shape us into who we are. As a child, I suppose several incidents shaped me for good and bad. One brought me to where I am today, serving as the Executive Director at Refuge for Women. Read more>>

Mykhael Harland

You find your purpose on the journey. Sometimes to get to your destination you have to just get in the car and go. Onlything you should question is whether or not you have the discipline for what lies ahead. Read more>>

Taylor Lee

In my personal opinion, you can’t really find your purpose, your purpose comes to you. Now when you’re questioning what your purpose is or trying to “find” it you may have to do different things and put yourself in different environments to attract your purpose. Read more>>

Amanda Maggiore

Finding a purpose after college is hard. We are conformed to society’s norms of school. We sit in the classroom for the first 20 years of our life with this being our only purpose. This is fine, but after that we grow out of the only norm we know, it’s hard to understand what you are meant to do. Some people find it while they are in high school or college, and understand where they want their talents to thrive. Others struggle to find themselves in the world.  Read more>>

Yagiz Oral

I had an interest in music and movies since I was very young. When I went to the theater, sometimes I couldn’t get over the effect of the movie I watched for several weeks. Although I have a special interest in these two branches of art, I started this as a passionate hobby and then a professional career at a late age. When I put my interest in music into practice by starting to learn the guitar, I found a new way to express myself and communicate with people. Read more>>

Anna Ballew

Growing up, I felt like I was the one at the dinner table who wasn’t capable of entering the debate arena. One of the prominent values in my family was intellectual capacity; are you well versed in literature, history, can you construct an argument, etc. But often these arguments felt like there wasn’t much of an intent to understand, just to win. Read more>>

Brittney Everson

In the pursuit of purpose, I uncovered a profound sense of joy and tranquility through a talent bestowed upon me by God. This divine gift not only brought personal fulfillment but also became a channel through which I could generate income. As I embraced this talent, I realized that God had intricately woven a path where my passion seamlessly intertwined with my life goals. The alignment of joy, peace, and prosperity signaled that I was walking in the purpose for which I was uniquely designed. Read more>>

Jerry Rodriguez Photographer

Finding one’s purpose is a personal journey that can vary from person to person. I found that for me, it was about finding what I was good at. Reflecting on my skills, talents, and strengths. Your purpose may be closely tied to what you excel at. I love everything design, creativity and communication. Loved interacting with others, had love for photography, and was very creative. If you’re on the quest for your purpose, my advice is simple: think about how you can use your superpowers to sprinkle some good vibes on yourself and the world. Read more>>

Rick Crandall

For as long as I can remember, I have always been an adventurer. I suppose that came from innate curiosity which I suspect is genetic. I don’t think it was learned from my parents. Having an adventurous spirit led me to various purposes as life unfolded. If an activity, a goal, a learning experience or a challenge presented itself that looked exciting, had challenges and problems with no apparent solution, it would stir a passion to go after it despite the unknowns. Read more>>

Alex Catano

Hi I’m Alejandro Catano, Alexx for short. A long time finding my purpose was difficult because growing up I had friends, however I was always the quiet one in the group, never really felt I quite fit in. Luckily good friends in my life were I felt supported, however that was High School, people movie on and people come and go in your life, which led me into depression going to college thinking making the most of life and not knowing how long until the people here move on, but that was not the case now because now growing up and not always think about the then, I live in present times and have good memories of the good times.  Read more>>

David Paul Kay

Big question, did I find my purpose and is the purpose something that you keep rediscovering? It could be the latter. I do believe there is a reason for each and every one of us being here. It is all about energy and we all are individual unique forms of it, dynamic, ever changing sources of energy. We generate the script for our future, therefor we have the ability to define our future purpose.  Read more>>

Roman Lane

Finding my purpose has always come from necessity. My career in filmmaking began when I was building and racing cars years ago. I wanted someone to take video footage of my car and I couldn’t find anyone with the aesthetic I was searching for. So I bought my first camera and a couple lenses from Craigslist and filmed nearly everyday for 10 years. Read more>>

Angela Martinez

I always thought finding your life purpose was some BS you only see in movies or a dream only available to the rich. I struggled most of my life, working 3 jobs, just to have nothing to show for it. After moving across country and realizing nothing was changing, I decided to create my new beginning. I started my podcast 4 years ago and it has changed my life tremendously. Read more>>

Lisa Maydwell

I discovered my purpose after my childhood friend’s tragic death at twenty-one. This prompted me to live life fully in Melanie’s memory. Despite a love for writing, I struggled to share my craft until co-authoring a novel with my sister Lori. Meeting a film producer opened doors to screenwriting, and my seventeen-year teaching career improved my creative writing skills.  Read more>>

Sharon Madison

Finding my purpose has been a journey of both self-discovery and learning to align my passions with a greater cause. I took the time to reflect on what truly matters to me, and where I can make a meaningful impact. Through my experiences, I discovered a deep connection to the mission of We Ride 4, and it became clear that making a positive difference in the lives of others is my purpose. Read more>>

Robert Miller

I came of age musically during the British Invasion era of the 1960s and then segued into the Jazz Rock Fusion era of the 1970s. I was sure that I was on track to become a rock star. But life then got in the way as it does for so many of us. Marriage, kids, job, obligations. My music dream went off track for 15 years. But it was always burning deep inside of me. Finally, when I was in my 40’s I forced myself to get back into music. Read more>>

Judy Ryan

First, I believe purpose comes from those moments where we know this person we are at our best. I found my purpose after observing how many children and adults sell their souls in exchange for love, approval, and acceptance, and what that costs us all. I remember when I was exploring my purpose, one memory that came to me was me as a 5th grader going into 6th grade.  Read more>>

Christine Smith

I struggled with my body image most of my life, especially as a teenager. Even though I played soccer and was active, I never felt “fit” enough! I played collegiate soccer and was always very competitive; however, when that chapter came to an end, I found myself working full-time and sitting at a desk all day long. Plus, I was eating whatever I wanted. Slowly the pounds creeped on and I was in my mid-20’s unhappy and overweight! Read more>>

Katherine Sylvester

I found my purpose through the birth of my precious children. A year after having my son, I had dinner with four other moms and each of them had issues they were dealing with post baby-urine leakage, painful intercourse, a hernia following a c-section delivery, depression and difficulty losing weight. I didn’t have any of those issues and I knew it was in large part because of my experience as a physical therapist. Read more>>